Gravel or dirt wagon



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. W. COATS & J.-BARTLETT. GRAVBL 0R DIRT WAGON.

No. 516,564. Patented Mar. 13, 1894.

(No Model.)

(No' Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.- A. W. COATS & J. BARTLETT.

GRAVEL 0R DIRT WAGON- No. 516,564. Patented Mar. 13, 1894.

T:: D k N 1 [HT i 1k ZILIJ.

' TATES' ATENT Orrron.

ARTHUR W. COATS AND J BARTLETT, OF UKIAH, CALIFORNIA.

GRAVEL OR DIRT WAGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,564, dated March 13, 1894.

Application filed November 23, 1893- Serial No. 492,270- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that we, ARTHUR W. COATS and J nuns BARTLnTT,citizens of theUnited States, residing at Ukiah, county of Mendocino, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Gravel or Dirt Wagons; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to the class of wagons, especially adapted for the carrying of gravel and dirt, and the ready and efiective discharge of the same.

Our invention consists essentially in the combination in a wagon, of a bed having its bottom composed of a hinged swinging horizontal section and a hinged swinging normally inclined section; means for locking and relieving the horizontal section; and connections from the horizontal section whereby its dropping movement serves to swing the inclined section to a greater inclination.

It also consists in a wagon having its bed bottom composed of a transversely hinged horizontal central section, inclined end sections, connections whereby upon the dropping of the central sections, the end sections will be automatically swung to a greater inclination, and suitable means for locking and relieving the central section.

It also consists in the arrangement of the sections whereby the end sections may be lowered to a horizontal position, thus adapting the bed to be readily converted into a flat bottomed one.

It also consists in the several constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple and efiective self-discharging wagon which can, when necessary, be converted into an ordinary wagon with a common bed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of our invention,-Figure1 is a side view of our wagon, the side board being removed, and showing the bed bottom in normal position. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the bed bottom sections in position for discharging the load. Fig. 3 is a bottom view showing the bed sections all lying in a horizontal plane, when the bed is converted into an ordinary flat-bottomed one.

The bed A of the wagon is mounted upon the ordinary running gear represented generally by B. There is no reach, however, thus leaving the central portion free. The bed bottom is composed of transversely divided sections. In practice we prefer three sections as here shown. The central section 0 is hinged in the line 0, and it lies normally in a horizontal position, being held and locked in such position by means of sliding bolts 0' mounted and adapted to slide in suitable guides under the bed, and adapted to project their forward ends under the free edge of the central section to support it, and to withdraw therefrom, to relieve said section, whereby it may drop, under the force of its own weight and that of the snperincumbent load. The bolts are operated by means of a transverse rock shaft 0 having cranks 0 connected by links 0 with said bolts. The rock-shaft is actuated by an endcrank 0 which is connected by a rod 0 with a lever 0 on the front of the bed, and passing upwardly within reach of the driver, on the seat S. By throwing this lever backwardly, the

locking bolts are projected, to hold the central section 0, and by throwing it forwardly, the bolts are withdrawn, to relieve said section.

The forward end section D of the bed bottom, is pivoted or hinged along its rear edge, in the line 0. It normally lies at an inclination, its free forward edge finding support upon the front end or head-board a of the bed. This section is operated by the movement of the central section by means of the following connections: Firmly secured under the central section 0 are lever arms (1, preferably trussed or braced arms, as shown, their forward ends projecting forwardly under the plane of the forward end section D. To the forward end of these arms is secured a bail d which extends upwardly to and bears under the bed section D. Now, when the central section 0 is dropped, as heretofore described, the forward ends of the lever arms d rise, and their bail d moving upwardly, lifts the free end of the bed section D, which latter, turning about its hinge at 0, assumes a greater inclination, and thus positively discharges the load lying upon it, the material flowing down by gravity from it and over the dropped central section, to the ground. To return these sections to normal position, the front section has only to be pressed down or allowed to move down to place, and it will, by bearing on bail cl, depress the lever arms d, which will thus, by their rear portions, lift the central section.

The rear end bed section E is hinged at its forward edge on the line 6. It normally lies at an inclination, its free rear edge resting upon the rear or tail board a of the bed. This section is operated by the movement'of the central section by means of the following connections:-Pivoted at its lower end to a-suitable bearing on the rear axle or bolster is a vertical lever e in the top of which is an arm e carrying an anti-friction roller e which bears under and is adapted to operate upon a wearing plate 6 under the bed section E, said plate being preferably an inclined plane in order to increase the movement of said section. Secured to a crank a of the rock shaft 0 is a cable or line e which extends rearwardly to and over a guide pulley e on the back of the rear bolster, and thence forwardly to the vertical lever e, to which its end is attached. Secured to the free edge of bed section 0 is another cable or line 6 which extends under the brake bar of the running gear, and thence backwardly, over and behind a guide pulley e in lever e, and thence upwardly to the forward end of the arm 6 of said lever, where it is attached. The normal position of lever e is vertical, in which position its top roller 6 lies just under bed section E, the latter being then in its normal inclination. Now, when the central section 0 is dropped, as heretofore described, said section, in falling, will pull downwardly upon cable e"', which will, thereupon, pull lever e forwardly, and the roller e traveling forwardly under the wearing plate 6 will raise the free end of section E, which will thus assume a greater inclination and will discharge its load down through the open center of the bed. The lever 6 can freely move as described, for at this time, the other cable 6 is slack, due to the backward throw of the crank 0 its shaft 0 having been rocked, to release the bolts 0' from the central section. Now, upon returning the central section to its normal position the cable e will be slackened,and then, when the shaft 0 is again rocked, to project the bolts 0', the forward throw of the crank c of said shaft will, through cable 6 return the lever e to initial position, and thus allow the bed section E to drop back to its normal inclination. The lever e is limited in its backward movement by the rear bolster and in its forward movement by a cross bar F.

In order to convert the bed into one having an ordinary flat bottom, the arrangement and manipulation are as follows: The cross-bar F has at its center a swinging hook section f which is normally closed, but which when thrown open will permit the lever e, which must first be relieved of its cable 6 (as by detachingsaid cable at either end, referably from its connection with crank c to be swung forwardly and downwardly far enough to lie below the general level of the bed bottom. This will remove it out of the way. Thereupon, the tail board a is removed from its usual guides, and the rear bed section E may be dropped down to a horizontal plane. Then the tail-board is replaced and bears down upon the rear end of section E and holds it. The front bed section D is lowered by first relieving the bail d of the pivoted hook braces d which normally support it, and turning said braces back to lie in line'with the lever arms 01. Then the bail, which is also pivotally connected with the lever arms, is turned backwardly to lie down within said arms, thus getting it out of the way. Thereupon, the head-board a is removed from its usual guides, and the front bed section D is dropped to a horizontal plane. The headboard being replaced, holds it imposition.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wagon, the combination of abed having a bottom composed of a hinged horizontal section, and a normally inclined section hinged at its lower end to the adjacent end of the horizontal section, a means locking and releasing the horizontal section whereby it will drop to an inclination under the weight of the load, and connections between the horizontal section and the inclined section adapted to swing the latter inward about its pivotal connection with the horizontal section and cause it to assume a greater inclination, to discharge the load.

2. In a wagon, the combination of a bed having a bottom composed of a hinged horizontal section, and a normally inclined section hinged at its lower end near the adjacent end of the horizontal section, and having its upper free end supported upon the end board of the bed, and a connection from the free end of the horizontal section adapted to bear under the inclined section to move it inward to a greater inclination, whereby the dropping of the horizontal section actuates the inclined section to discharge the load, while the return of the inclined section to its normal position causes the return of the horizontal section to its initial position.

3. In a wagon, the combination of abed having a bottom composed of a hinged horizontal central section, and normally inclined hinged end sections, a means for locking and relieving the central section whereby it will drop to an inclination under the weight of the load, and connections between the central section and each of the end sections adapted, by the dropping of said central section, to swing the end sections to a greater inclination, to discharge their loads, substantially as herein de scribed.

4. In a wagon, the combination of abed having a bottom composed of a hinged horizontal central section, and normallyinclined hinged end sections, a means for locking and relieving the central section whereby it will drop to an inclination under the weight of the load, and connections between the central section and each of the end sections'adapted, by the dropping of said central section, to swing the end sections to a greater inclination, to discharge their loads, and to return the central section to initial position by the return of one of the end sections, substantially as herein described.

5. In a wagon, the combination of abed having a bottom composed of a hinged horizontal section and a normally inclined hinged section, a means for locking and for relieving the horizontal section whereby it will drop to an inclination under the Weight of the load, and the connections for reciprocally operating the two sections, consisting of the lever arms connected with the horizontal section and having a device bearing under the inclined section, whereby as the horizontal section is dropped the inclined'section is swung to a greater inclination, and as the latter returns to normal position, the former is returned to a horizontal plane, substantially as herein described.

6. In a wagon, the combination of abed having a bottom composed of a hinged horizontal section and a normally inclined hinged section, a means for locking and for relieving the horizontal section to allow it to drop, and the means actuated bythe dropping of said section, to throw the inclined section to a greater inclination, consisting of the swinging lever bearing under the inclined section, and the cable orline connecting the horizontal section with said lever, substantially as herein described.

7. In-awagon,the combination of abed havin g a bottom composed of a hinged horizontal section and a normally inclined hinged section, a-means for locking and for relieving the horizontal section to allow it to drop, and the means actuated by the dropping of said section to throw the inclined section to a greater inclination, consisting of the swinging lever having a top arm with anti-friction roller, the inclined plane wearing plate under the inclined section, and against which the roller acts, and the cable or line'connecting the horizontal section with said lever, substantially as herein described.

8. In a wagon, the combination of a bed having a-bottom composed of a hinged horizontal section and a normally inclined hinged section, the rocking shaft and bolts connected therewith to lock and relieve the horizontal section, the swinging vertical lever bearing under the inclined section, the cable or line connecting the horizontal section with said lever, whereby it is thrown forwardly to raise the inclined section to a greater inclination upon the dropping of the horizontal section,

the crank of the rock-shaft, and the cable or line connecting said crank-with said vertical lever, to return the latter and allow the return of the inclined section to normal position, substantially as herein described.

*9. In a wagon, the combination of the bed having a bottomcomposed of the hinged central horizontal section, the hinged inclined rear section, the sliding bolts for locking and relieving the central section and the rockshaft for operating the bolts, the lever arms secured to the central sect-ion and having a bearing for operating under the front section,'the lever for operating under the rear section, the cable or line connected with the central section for moving said lever in one direction and the cable or line connected with end board upon which the free end of the in-- clined section normally rests, whereby upon the removal of the boardthe section may be dropped to a horizontal plane and held by the replacing of the board, substantially as here-.

and the removable end boards upon which the free ends of the end sections normally rest whereby upon the removal of the boards the sections may be dropped to a horizontal plane and held by the replacing of said boards, thus converting the bed into a flat-bottomed, one, substantially as herein described:

12. In a wagon, the combination of the swinging bed sections 0 and D, the lever arm-s, the pivoted hail of the arms and the pivoted braces of the bail, whereby the section D is normally operated by the section 0, and the removable end board of the bed upon which the free end of section D normallyrests, substantially as herein described.

13. In a wagon,the combination of the swinging bed section E, the lever for operating it, the cross bar with its central swinging section to permit the forward movement of the lever to get out of the way of the section E,

when dropped to a horizontal plane, and the removable end board upon which the free end' ARTHUR W. COATS. JAMES BARTLETT.

Witnesses:

W. P. THOMAS, E. G. CASE. 

